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Dubai gears up for cruise tourism winter season |
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10/12/2006 8:57:02 AM |
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 The passenger vessels, some of which making their debut in the Middle East region, are scheduled to have a total of 64,993 passengers and crew members on board.
Mr. Khalid A bin Sulayem, Director General of Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) which operates the Dubai Cruise Terminal (DCT), said, 'Preparations have been made to welcome the cruise ships. Dubai is becoming a popular cruise destination in the world. The arrival of a record number of cruise ships over a six month period speaks volumes about the status that Dubai enjoys on the world cruise tourism map.'
The DTCM-DCT officials are coordinating with the other government organizations like the Dubai Ports Authority (DPA), Dubai Naturalisation and Residency Department (DNRD) and Dubai Customs to handle the winter season rush. They are also holding discussions with the suppliers, cruise tour operators and ground handling agencies on issues related to cruise tourism.
Luxury cruise ships, Queen Mary 2, Costa Classica, AIDAcara and Black Watch will be making their debut in the Middle East this season utilizing the region's first and only dedicated cruise tourism facility.
From December, Costa Classica and AIDAcara will make a total of 25 departments in 2006-2007 season.
Another leading European cruise operator, Fred Olsen, has placed Dubai on its cruise itineraries calendar and its Black Watch ship will make the port of call in February 2007.
Mr. bin Sulayem said, 'The decision of major cruise operators to come to Dubai reconfirms the potential of Dubai as the regional cruise industry hub. We assure of our cooperation and support to make the initiatives successful. We are confident that this stimulates other cruise operators to use the emirate as a cruise hub.'
He said the department's aggressive promotional and marketing agenda has been helping in getting the world enlightened about Dubai as an ideal year-round business and leisure destination and the strengths of its cruise tourism industry.
As part of these initiatives, the DTCM-DCT is participating in the influential Seatrade Med Cruise and Ferry Convention from October 18 to 20.
This will be the fourth consecutive year of participation for Dubai at this biannual show being held for the first time in the Italian city of Naples.
Dubai Cruise Terminal stand measures 32 square metres and will have six co-participants - Rais Hassan Saadi, SNTTA Emir Tours, Sharaf Shipping Agency, Net Group, Alpha Tours and Orient Tours.
The ship-shaped terminal, opened in 2001, measures 3300 square metres and is able to accommodate two ships simultaneously on a 335-metre quay. In 2005, Dubai handled cruise ships with nearly 13,000 passenger movements.
Dubai expects 20,000 cruise passengers in 2006 and 30,000 in 2007. The bulk of the cruise tourists come from the UK, Germany and the US markets.
In a survey, 80 per cent of the cruise passengers in Dubai revealed that they would extend their visit to the emirate during their next visit and 95 per cent said they would recommend others to visit Dubai to enjoy its all-appealing facilities, pristine beaches and unparalleled shopping options.
The Dubai Cruise Terminal is the world's first to receive ISO-9002 certification and also the world's only cruise facility run by the government tourism body.
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